Reasonable Assessment: The SXSW Panel Is More Important Than You Think
Hello, hello. I’m Noah and I’m new the commentator at TSSZ. Welcome to my segment! Sit down and rev up a spindash. We’re about to get started.
For my first article, I’d like to address a certain sentiment that seems to be prevalent in the community right now.
“The panel didn’t have a game announcement. Therefore, nothing happened.”
That is the belief that a number of Sonic fans have regarding the SXSW 25th Anniversary panel. It’s not necessarily an unreasonable thought. Sonic is a video game franchise first and foremost, and it’s a big year for him. We are all anxious to see a game announcement. There’s no doubt that when a game announcement does finally drop, it will be a big deal.
However, as someone who attended the panel in person, I’d argue that underneath the surface, the panel was more important than you might initially think. Sure, there was no game announcement, but that does not mean “nothing” happened.
For starters, it was made very clear to us beforehand that there wasn’t going to be a game announcement at the panel. Aaron Webber plainly said so, and TSSZ made sure to report on it. If you thought there was going to be a game announcement, despite what was explicated stated by SEGA itself, I don’t know what to tell you. All that said, I’d say that it may have been a good thing that there was no announcement.
Hold on. Don’t start flipping tables just yet. Hear me out.
SEGA has historically pumped out so many Sonic titles that there’s always been one to talk about at any given point. Every time there’s a Sonic event/panel/convention, there’s a new game around the corner that often becomes the focus of the discussion. Technically, we have two spin-off games coming, Olympics 2016 and Fire & Ice, but those are low key releases. There is no announced mainline Sonic game right now, and therefore, no concrete conversation about one.
“Yeah, we know that, Noah. Why is that significant?”
Well, it’s significant for two reasons.
1) SEGA is a company that is notorious for rushing out games that are unfinished, especially Sonic games. The results have been disastrous. But this time, there seems to be no rush. Let’s take this time to appreciate SEGA’s silence. It means they are taking their time for once. Not only has Aaron Webber already said this several times, but it also echoes the apologies made by the CEO of SEGA last October.
2) The panel was not just a glorified advertisement for a specific, upcoming project. Instead, we were talking about Sonic’s history.
“History’s boring, Noah. No one cares about that. I’m tired of all this nostalgia pandering. Yeah, we all know the Genesis-days were great. Can we move on now?”
Now, hold up just a minute.
Yes, this panel was a history lesson. Yes, some of you already knew the information covered at the panel. I understand why that would disappoint some people. But there’s a key thing that makes this panel special; it wasn’t just a one-sided discussion. It wasn’t SEGA talking to investors or industry people. It wasn’t SEGA being interviewed by gaming journalists. It was a conversation with the fans, with Aaron Webber acting as the medium.
Since there was nothing “new” to talk about, we got to look at Sonic’s old games.
…And since we were looking at old Sonic games, we got a chance to be vocal about them (more on that later). First, allow me to take you to the panel.
I’m inside Ballroom C at the Austin Convention Center in Texas, America. It’s cool inside and the room is full of eager Sonic fans, from children to adults. The air in the room is full of warm adoration for this little blue hedgehog that has made so many of us happy. I’m sitting in third row, the closest I could get. Takashi Iizuka, the man in charge of all things Sonic, is in the room, sitting at the table. He’s mere feet from me. He’s mere feet from all of us.
As the panel goes on, Iizuka is looking out at us. He’s sees our faces as Aaron goes from slide to slide. He hears our cheers as we see something we love. He picks up the subtleties in our reactions. He’s taking it all in and there’s nothing being lost over an internet connection. There’s just something electrifying about being physically present in a room that makes things seem much more real than they ever could via live stream, or email, or Facebook message.
To the far right of Iizuka is Aaron Webber. Now, here’s a man with fervour and purpose. Even though he’s standing on the stage as an employee of SEGA, he could as easily be sitting in the crowd as a fan. In fact, before the panel started, that’s exactly what he did. Before the other panellist came out, he sat down right in front of me in the only empty chair in the building. “What’s up guys,” he said in the most down-to-the-earth tone. He talked to us openly and casually. He asked us how we felt. He asked us what our Sonic favorite game is. It was like he was just one of us.
And when he went up on stage to start the presentation, he didn’t stop being one of us. He didn’t “turn off” his fan mode. His passion for this series was still beaming through even from the podium. He passed that passion around the room. He knows what the fans want and gave them the chance to be passionate as well.
He made sure to mention Jun Senoue and Crush 40, and made sure the crowd had a chance to cheer loudly for them. Since Jun hasn’t directed any of the Sonic soundtracks in several years, I get the feeling that he’s been slowly phased out of the franchise. I find this unfortunate and I know many Sonic fans really want him and Johnny Gioeli to return. Those of us in the crowd got to express our love for Jun and John.
What’s something else a lot of Sonic fans want? The return of the Chao garden. Aaron was much more obvious when he mentioned the Chao. “I really need to get your reaction to this,” he said. “They should totally bring them [the Chao] back, right?” The room erupted. The audience, myself included, made it very clear how much we love those little blue guys.
And Iizuka was there, soaking it all in.
Let me go on a side rant for a second. Many of us can agree on this; one of the problems that has plagued the Sonic series is its constant fixation with trying to reinvent the wheel every other release.
If you are look at Sonic Team’s track record, the phrase “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” appears to mean very little to them. I don’t know if it’s a lack of confidence or pressure from above but Sonic Team can’t seem to make anything and stick to it. They have felt the need to constantly reboot Sonic. Just look at Sonic 06, Sonic & the Secret Rings, Sonic Unleashed, Sonic Lost World… the list goes on and on.
Don’t get me wrong; I’m not saying that they shouldn’t innovate. It just feels as if every time they accomplish something, they retcon it and start from scratch. In fact, I’d say their best games came out of the few times they actually stuck with an idea and built upon it.
…S3&K? Amazing game. It built upon Sonic 1 & 2.
…Sonic Adventure 2? Amazing game. It built upon the first adventure game.
…Sonic Generations? Amazing game. It built upon Unleashed and Colors.
This panel was not about the latest reinvention of Sonic. This was not about reacting to a new product. This wasn’t just a celebration of Sonic’s history; this was an evaluation of what has made Sonic great throughout his highs and lows. At the panel, the fans, however small a fraction of it, were sending feedback to the people who make the games. There was no new game to distract anyone. We don’t have that opportunity very often.
Now that the panel is over, I think we can look at it with a less “hype-train” viewpoint and begin to see the hidden value within it. On a surface level, sure, maybe it wasn’t anything huge (Big The Cat notwithstanding). Sure, it’d been cool if there was a new image or screenshot of the next Sonic game. But just underneath the surface, I’d argue there was more going on. Maybe it wasn’t the best panel in the history of panels. But was it a panel where “nothing” happened? Absolutely not. I’d asses that it has a lot more value than we’ve been giving it credit.
And that much, I hope, is a reasonable assessment.
This post was originally written by the author for TSSZ News.
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As soon as i saw that 06 caption I stopped. Turns out you’re the forgetful one. Recall that with 06, we’d had a main Sonic Team game (Shadow) just one year ago, while now, we haven’t had a main Sonic Team game in 3 years.
You completely missed his point.
And you seem to miss the point of announcing and releasing a game are two different things. They can announce it now and release it months, even years later. Like any other normal company in the world.
Except “any other normal company” hasn’t had to deal with a complete restructure and a disaster of a game that, funnily enough, had PR and announcing be part of the reason behind its downfall.
But, as per usual, I’m the one with the problem.
Didn’t 06 kinda announce itself months before Shadow The Hedgehog came out? I don’t know. I just remember knowing about Shadow The Hedgehog and Sonic Rush at the same time with little info and images on what would become Sonic Riders and Sonic 06 already available. ….Wow holy moly I was so much younger then. O^O
Thanks for this, great analysis. One important note about consistent rebooting was that the last Sonic game that Naka produced was Sonic Riders. There is a clear divide between the two games that can be recognized. Naka’s goals for creating games was to create games that not only could be for children but also would appeal to adults. After Naka left Sonic Team to create Prope, much of that original intent was lost when Iizuka became the head of Sonic Team. I’m not saying he is a bad producer because he has given us many great games such as Colors and Lost World and he was the creator of the Sonic Rivals series. It would be nice to see Naka’s involvement in the upcoming game instead of his usual appearances at milestone events.
Thank you, Noah! I rated the panel a 10 for these very reasons, for them actually taking interest in fans’ likes, not rushing a game to market, and Webber being a very friendly, dare I say human PR employee. What fans desperately need is patience, myself included, and things will come when they are good and ready and no sooner. I would argue that maybe they should even remotely tease a little more clearly what is cooking in the game coding kitchen so we got an idea of what this is. But if they even did give it away, and the official signs and clues already point to an Adventure or Adventure-inspired game, it would take away the awe of surprise later on. Patience, folks. SEGA is finally giving a full bore, sincere effort to recapture the magic of the series, so let them “imagineer” without constraint.
Goddamn Noah, you knocked it right outta the park with this article. Even though I generally liked the panel, I never looked at it the way you put it. I don’t have much to add, but color me impressed.
I want to believe that SEGA is taking their time working on a new Sonic game to make sure it’s good, but let’s be real. It won’t be. They can take all the time in the world if they wanted to, but even the good games that they make miss the point of the series. SEGA’s incompetence is the reason why I view the panel as pointless. Sugarcoat it all you want, it was pointless. Iizuka has been to many Sonic conventions, doesn’t pay a single attention to the fans. Aaron Webber tries so hard to be one of us by shoving down stupid memes, because that’s what makes us, US, huh?
I’m not biting. Prove to me that SEGA cares and maybe I’ll care.
“even the good games that they make miss the point of the series.”
And that is…? Besides, if they’re good…that’s exactly what Sonic needs. Good games. So why is that a problem?
“Sugarcoat it all you want, it was pointless.”
Except that’s your opinion. Not a fact.
And your opinion is a fact?
I never said it was, because I don’t need to. I’m not passing it off as fact and telling people they’re “sugarcoating it”.
Eh, I still stand by my thoughts of the panel. I rated it a 6, because Webber and Iizuka had to carry the majority of the panel themselves, despite having so many people with them, and the panel was limited to only 45 minutes. Naka, RCS, and Pollock hardly did anything and just felt kinda… there. It was okay, had some interesting facts here and there, Webber was being Webber, and so on. Nothing particularly amazing, nor nothing particularly offensive. Just okay. It was pretty much what I was expecting, since I knew there wouldn’t be any announcements of a new game.
Even if they are taking their time with this supposed new game, I still plan to keep my expectations low, as I’m still expecting another 3-4 hour arcade game with no replay value nor lasting substance, but still somehow costs $50/$60. It would have to really get me hyped to consider buying a new Sonic game at full price, and not waiting for a price drop or sale.
Great article and great take on the events. I can appreciate the hopeful view. The panel standing alone without being involved in the middle of a drought of game info, is an interesting and fun occurrence. However I feel the need to explain the bitter taste from the panel. Unfortunately it was very hard to keep the panel separate from our interests in a new game because of the advertising that there would be something new to learn about something. That something being an event is cool, but it can’t take the place of a main game. In the end, people have been saying that Sega needs to walk the walk instead of talking the talk. Theres been a lot of promising and hinting at changed ways lately without any actual proof that Sega has majorly improved themselves. I would like to give them the benefit of the doubt, but they have been untrustworthy for 10 or more years now. This is another example of us putting our hopes in Sega and so I team without any physical evidence that things are getting better for sonic. I feel hopeful because of Noah’s view on the panel and Aaron’s energy towards sonic, but at the same time logic anchors me to hold a skeptical eye untill I see SOMETHING that shows sonic team has learned and understands what we want from this franchise. I want to believe that Iizuka was observing the u.s. Fans and taking notes and taking in all the love and the specific things we love (Chao, sonic 3, Knuckles, Barrels, Adventure 1 &2, generations) I want to think that this panel really nailed into sonic team just what we love about sonic, but I need to wait to see what the next game is in order to determine If they finally get it. Otherwise it’s just wishful thinking.
“Theres been a lot of promising and hinting at changed ways lately without any actual proof that Sega has majorly improved themselves”.
Honestly, I think the fact that it’s been three years since SLW is proof that at least something has changed. I’m not saying it’s proof that the next game will be amazing, but a gap that big hasn’t happened in over ten years. There’s been a Sonic Team game out in the fall every two years maximum, one year minimum, since 06. Only time will tell how much of they’ve changed but I think the gap is already a significant step in the right direction. We’ll just have to see! 🙂
(p.s. glad you like the article, thanks a lot!)
That’s a good point and i have had that in the back of my head. That’s the thing though, it’s in the back of everyone’s heads making it our speculation, but i need a little bit more than silence, time, and speculating. It definitely looks like something has changed because of this gap, but it could just be coincidence. That’s why we need something said about the next project. Even something as simple as stating that these 3 years without a game were infact intentional to work on the quality of the latest game. I would love that, but we can’t even get a confirmation on if there even is a game this year. Hopefully Big’s big fishing adventure 3 can help out with that. I’m with you in thinking things are looking like they could be going in the right direction, but i’m waiting for something more before i buy my ticket to wait for the hype train to arrive. So waiting and seeing is what we all have to do. In the meantime Articles like this really help pass the time and build a positive anticipation. You’re welcome Mr. Noah and im looking forward to more commentaries.
Interesting write-up, Noah. I may not agree with all of it (SA 2 isn’t an amazing game by any stretch), but you did help me to realize that the panel wasn’t a waste.
That being said, something really did bother me about the panel, and that was the Sonic 2006 trolling. Aaron teased Sonic 2006, only to skip it, right in front of Naka and Iizuka (Naka worked on it for a bit before getting fed up and quitting SEGA for good), then pulled a switcheroo with Sonic Rivals (a terrible game).
Then he had the audacity to even mention Sonic Boom Wii U. I mean, really? REALLY? You skip 2006, but mention Boom? As if Boom is even worth remembering, both games are bad, but at least 2006 is a “real” Sonic game, where as Boom is just a spin-off.
I didn’t like that from him, but other than that, it was an okay panel, a bit too short, I would have liked more questions directed towards Naka and Iizuka, though I know they were only given 45 minutes and couldn’t go any longer. Too bad, however I am excited for the July Anniversary event.
Ah, and welcome to TSSZ, Noah!
Sonic & the Secret Rings, Sonic Unleashed, Sonic Lost World are reboots?
Eehhhh, you sure on that? Pretty sure the only real reboots are 06 and Boom to an extent.
And tbh, I’d say Colors was more the reboot-ish than Lost World since it wanted to take the series in a way different place than where it already was and Gens and LW just kinda followed that way sadly.
One thing tho I still have against the panel was the exclusion of GBA/DS games. If we didn’t have those Unleashed wouldn’t exist in the slightest.
Still, pretty good peice, here’s hoping all that love for all the good in Sonic was heard by Iizuka. (and hopefully not so much the LOLMEMESCOMEDY overtaking it so much)
On a slightly unrelated note, I do hope I’m not the ONLY one who do thinks Big is legitmately a cute character and not just material for the but of a Sonic joke. Dude just wanted to save his frog and live a nice quiet life. I can kinda appreciate a character who’s just a chill dude like that.
(I await for everyone to go crazy on me and say Big’s the dumbest person ever since people LOVE how he was written in Chronicles for some reason….)
Big is probably my favorite new character since Knuckles, especially since they retconned Skinny Vector.
His “hurrdurr” voice is legitimately the only issue I have with the character.
I see what you’re saying. Let me clarify what I meant by “rebooting.”
I didn’t strictly mean hard continuity reboots, (like 06 and Boom, as you said). I was also referring to things like the way the games function, play, and feel. Sonic Lost World, for example, removed the boost, introduced the parkour, used the tube level design, and was aesthetically simpler than Generations/Unleashed. It was radically different at the time and it had mixed reception. That’s what I meant by “rebooting/reinvention.” Does that make more sense?
In terms of overall tone as well as story, I can see the Colors similarities, like you were talking about.
Ahh, now I getcha. Reminds me of how way back one of the pre-order titles for Lost World was called “Sonic Reboot” if I recall.
I enjoyed the panel because it took us on a journey through Sonic’s history and left off with a surprisingly satisfying cliffhanger that left us all guessing on what’s to come in the future for Sonic!
It’s almost as if we’re waiting for the curtain to be unveiled on the new path Sega will take Sonic and if they are true to their apologies and promises….
“The SXSW Panel Is More Important Than You Think.”
*Sees this evening’s breaking news.*
You were positively spot on. Way to go hitting the nail on the head for something this big in your first article the very day big announcements were cut loose!
Haha I obviously can’t take credit for it but the timing couldn’t have been better!
I know, right? Talk about the perfect storm for your first day debut at TSSZNews. Cool stuff ahead, and I’m stoked!
Sounds reasonable enough to me. If nothing else, maybe Iizuka was actually paying attention to what fans reacted to best. That could be good for the next few Sonic games.
Great first article man! Lookin good in those photos. Would’ve been great to be there.
Definitely agree with all that’s been said here. Excited about SEGA actually taking their time for once but a little nervous about the next release at the same time. R they gonna try to reinvent the wheel AGAIN? Or will they go for the approach I would like to see, which is to create an actual foundation for the games?
My opinion on the SXSW panel: Aaron Webber specifically stated that there would be no big announcements, and BEHOLD, there were none! Whoop-de-do. Got exactly what was expected out of it.
Although I did want to hear more Q&A with the cast and crew.
Thank you! Did you catch the twitch stream with the panelist later that day? It had a more in depth Q&A.
Nice Article! I really like this upbeat attitude! We’ll need more of it to balance the pessimism in the community in the coming weeks. I really like what you had to say too. That kind of a feeling is something you gotta be there to feel, so hearing from someone there that they could feel that special magic is very good news to me! Oh, and Welcome to TSSZ!
“Since there was nothing “new” to talk about, we got to look at Sonic’s old games…”
You mean like multiple Sonic conventions in the past since Sonic 4’s marketing, onwards to Sonic Generation’s publicity and constantly ongoing nauseating focus on the nostalgia factor?
You mean the exact same fucking thing that SEGA has been reminding us for more than 5 years straight?
Please educate me how this panel was ‘important’. No I don’t take this article seriously because it just sounds like a defensive reaction, much like all the other pieces collaborated with Aaron Webber on the nothing news/”rumors” that were published over a month ago.
Give me a break: the last thing that SEGA needs is more people coming to defend it as if it’s a weak child needing to be protected from bullies.
“You mean the exact same fucking thing that SEGA has been reminding us for more than 5 years straight?”
2013 had no nostalgia pandering or reminders. Neither did 2014. Nor 2015. They haven’t reminded us of anything nostalgia related since 2012, when Sonic 4: Episode II was on the horizon. The simple reason we’ve been getting nostalgia reminders this year is because, well, anniversary.
“Please educate me how this panel was ‘important’.”
Okay then. The article you’re commenting on did a good job with that. Blatantly ignoring it and “not taking it seriously” because it disagrees with you doesn’t help at all.
“It just sounds like a defensive reaction, much like all the other pieces collaborated with Aaron Webber on the nothing news/”rumors” that were published over a month ago.”
I assume you mean the two Ben Kalough articles I wrote. The ones that only you seem to have a problem with. A collaboration isn’t a “defensive reaction”, it’s Aaron getting involved in the community and doing his job.
“the last thing that SEGA needs is more people coming to defend it as if it’s a weak child needing to be protected from bullies.”
It’s called opinions. I’m tired of saying this to you. Opinions. People are allowed to defend SEGA just as much as you are allowed to criticize them.
“2013 had no nostalgia pandering or reminders. Neither did 2014. Nor 2015. They haven’t reminded us of anything nostalgia related since 2012, when Sonic 4: Episode II was on the horizon. The simple reason we’ve been getting nostalgia reminders this year is because, well, anniversary.”
So we’re just gonna pretend Sonic Runners and Sonic Lost World didn’t happen? Both games which have an absurd amount of it in them, or does your dictionary definition of pandering change depending on the topic?
“It’s called opinions. I’m tired of saying this to you. Opinions. People are allowed to defend SEGA just as much as you are allowed to criticize them.”
Literally just going to say this exact same right back to you considering your defensiveness to me.
“So we’re just gonna pretend Sonic Runners and Sonic Lost World didn’t happen? Both games which have an absurd amount of it in them?”
Sonic Lost World has very little nostalgia pandering. It takes place in a new setting against new villains. Sonic has new abilities. The only “old” thing is the badniks, and those have been seen in many Sonic games for years. Not just Lost World.
As for Runners, that’s more so the politics and theme of mobile gaming than nostalgia. It’s a very, very small game. It’s run-to-win. The game has hardly anything except the many characters (both old and new) who are there, along with companions. If that game comes off as nostalgia pandering, that’s mostly because of how small and lacking in variety mobile games are (and part of the reason I don’t like them in the first place). But the game wasn’t made to pander to nostalgia. It was made to be a Sonic seller on mobile, which it wasn’t.
The last time nostalgia was legitimately a factor was in Sonic 4: Episode II.
“Literally just going to say this exact same right back to you considering your defensiveness to me.”
If I’m coming off as defensive, I have every reason to. I have yet to call you anything. Yet you’ve already told me “get with the times”, that I’m “passive-aggressive”. You’ve been snarky in multiple articles for absolutely no reason, all but called Noah “blinded by nostalgia”, told Noah that you’re “not taking his article seriously”, gotten on my case for the Ben Kalough articles, and that doesn’t even include your blatant disregard for people’s opinions and making yourself out to be the correct, more superior one. Yes, I have every reason to speak up and defend myself and my TSSZ mates. Because you’ve been disrespectful to people. And to be honest, I’ve had enough of that. Granted, you haven’t been hurling insults, but it’s not what you have been saying. It’s how.
If you can’t sit here and debate to me like a human being without jumping down mine and Noah’s throats, then yes, people will get defensive. And some will not even bother with you at all.
Also
“…Sonic Adventure 2? Amazing game. It built upon the first adventure game.”
>Amazing game
Boy that’s still a meme that people persist is fact huh? Nostalgia is far blinder still in this day and age than I thought.
Never did he pass that off as fact. Meanwhile, you’re calling it a “meme” and saying he’s “blinded by nostalgia” for it.
Get with the times, Donnie. It’s called a “meme” because it’s an overstated opinion that really needs to be shot down more. If you’re gonna passive aggressively debunk something at least know what you’re talking about.
I’d say this downplaying of how people who disagree with you as inferior by saying they’re “overstating things” and calling them “memes that need to be shot down more” is more of an issue than anything. I’ve also noticed people having an increasing trend of calling me “passive-aggressive” for simply making a point they don’t agree with. Nowhere have I been indirectly hostile.
Good one, Noah . I think Naka-san and Sonic Team are smart enough to know and fix their mistakes by now